1,923Disclaimer: I own nothing.
A/N:I apologise for the long hiatus. I won't take this long to update next time, promise. I'll start working on the next chapter right after I post this, so I'm hoping I'll manage another update before the end of the month.
Originally, I was only planning to include Harry and Percy's visit to the MACUSA in this chapter, but the chapter would have been significantly shorter, and you guys have waited long enough. So I decided to tie up some loose ends back in Forks, and added a couple of scenes here.
Enjoy.
***The line paraphrased from Buffy was: 'No man is worth your life, not ever.'***
Unedited version.
Interlude II
"Listen here, you bureaucratic piece of shi –"
"What my temperamental colleague means," Percy intervened smoothly, gently moving Harry aside as he addressed the scowling receptionist, "is that the matter we wish to discuss with your supervisor is both urgent and sensitive in nature, so if you could, perhaps, inform Head Auror Maron, and the Head of your DMLE, we are here, that would be greatly appreciated. Lives are at stake, I'm afraid."
With a distasteful sniff, the blonde receptionist waved her wand; a dragon shaped memo swiftly left her desk, and disappeared down the corner from the entrance Hall.
Within minutes, a tall, rotund man with auburn hair and a long beard appeared, alongside a slender woman with dark hair and darker eyes. They both looked to be in their late thirties, but they were both professional looking, and emanated an aura of authority and respect.
After exchanging pleasantries, August Bonnes – MACUSA's Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement – led them to his office where they could discuss the reason for Harry and Percy's visit, privately.
"I received your report last night," Head Auror Maron said, her brows furrowed as she regarded them guardedly. "If Bellatrix Lestrange is indeed here, and working with Dolohov – "
"We have suspicions Dolohov is not her only accomplish," Harry interrupted, eyes glinting under the fluorescent light.
"What?" Director Bonnes cried, his hands slapping on his oversized desk. "Why have we not heard about this?"
"The information came to my office early this morning," Percy intervened, noting Harry's eye begun to twitch. "An anonymous tip came through my personal mail at work, and my secretary forwarded it directly to me."
"What does it say?" Maron asked reproachfully.
Ignoring her tone, Percy sighed.
"The informer seemed to believe that Fenrir Greyback is helping Lestrange and Dolohov."
The two Americans swore.
Even thought not important or talented enough as a wizard to reward such a reaction, Fenrir Greyback's gruesomeness and predilection for small children, had made him renown around the magical world.
He was the quintessential Bad Wolf.
"If that's true –"
"Even if it's not," Harry interrupted his fellow Auror, finally calming enough to add to the conversation without blowing up, "we cannot take the risk of ignoring the danger he poses. We must move forward, assuming he and Dolohov are helping Bellatrix."
"I agree with Auror Potter." Bonnes nodded.
"What do you nee – "
A silver otter burst through the ceiling, bopping around them before coming to gracefully land in front of Harry. Recognising it, he jumped to his feet, heart hammering in his chest.
The otter paused before opening its mouth, and delivering its message in Hermione's familiar voice.
"Bellatrix, Dolohov and Fenrir are here and have my uncle. I need help."
His blood ran cold.
"Shite."
Chaos erupted as they all jumped into action.
"Who was that?"
"Call the others," Harry told Percy, ignoring the other two people in the room. "Tell them we need to move ASAP."
"Auror Potter!"
"What do you mean by that?" Bonnes demanded. "You can't order an operation within American soil, Auror, you have no authority here!"
"I don't have time to discuss this," Harry hissed.
"Harry – "
"Shove off, Percy," he snapped, slapping his hands on Bonnes' desk, and leaning over it to stare down at the older man. "That was Hermione Granger's patronus. You know of her, don't you? Muggle-born witch, my best friend, helped me take down Voldemort?
"Well, as you've read in my report, Hermione is Bellatrix's current obsession. As you've heard, Bella has already tracked her down and has taken Hermione's uncle – her Muggle uncle, – hostage. Now, we can sit around and discuss the best course of action, while Bellatrix slowly kills that man, or I use my team and act now.
"I know what I'm going to do."
"There are protocols we must follow, Mr Potter," Maron stated, moving to block their exit, her wand in her hand.
Harry tensed, ready to battle his way out.
Percy coughed.
"They are right, Harry," he solemnly said. At his outraged look, he covertly winked at him, and turned to Bonnes. "We, of course, are held liable to your laws. And your laws do state we must request permission from MACUSA to deploy a team on your country…"
At his and Maron's pleased expressions, Percy smiled a seemingly placating smile.
"So, we will sit here and wait for the appropriate committee to make that decision.
"And after they do grant us that permission – because how could they not, given the circumstances? – we'll move forward. Of course, by then we'll probably be too late, and Hermione and her family will be dead, and Bellatrix and her accomplices gone.
"After we clean up that mess, we will have to file official reports here and to our own Ministry, and of course, given the prominence of both Hermione and Bellatrix, not to mention the deaths of who knows how many Muggles, we'll have to report straight to the International Confederation of Wizards as well, and explain to them why we were so late in taking action, and explain who exactly cost us so much precious time.
"I'm sure they'll be very understanding of your position. After all, what is most important, a few lives or following protocol?"
xxXxx
"I'm impressed, Percy," Harry announced, hiding a smirk as Maron left to gather a team of Aurors, and Bonnes went to summon the Hit-Wizards – the Confederation's team of law enforcement, – all for Harry to use.
Percy returned the smirk.
"I'm a politician, Harry," he pompously said. "Being manipulative is part of the job description. I don't particularly like that part of the job, but it get things done, don't you agree?"
"Indeed. Fred would have been proud, you know," he added, watching him for his reaction.
Predictably, Percy's face darkened at the memory of his lost brother. His blue eyes glinted with unshed tears, but he refused to let them fall.
"I don't know about that," he murmured, eyes downcast.
"No, he would be," Harry affirmed with a shake of his head. "No matter what… He loved you."
Percy's jaw locked.
"Doesn't matter," he insisted, clearing his throat. "He's… he's gone."
"Percy – "
"We must hurry," he declared, avoiding eye contact. "Who knows what Bellatrix has in store for Hermione. We must waste no time at all."
Harry shook his head, but didn't continue the conversation.
It appeared that Fred's loss still was an open wound in Percy's chest, but they did not have time to deal with it now.
Hermione was their priority at the moment.
xxXxx
"Do you think they'll come?" Blaise asked him, watching wearily the vampires. The bronze haired one, Edward, was still upstairs with Hermione's Muggle cousin, but the rest were near them, lowly conversing – like them, they probably planned for the upcoming fight. Because there would be a fight, there was no doubt about that; Bellatrix would not go down without a fight, and she was a tremendously talented witch. He just hoped there would not be too many casualties on their side.
""Of course they'll come," Draco scoffed, shoving his hair back from his forehead. His grey eyes shifted, covertly passing over the wolf girl fussing over her baby brother. "Potter has a hero complex the size of my father's ego, and this is about Granger. He'll probably raise an army to come to her rescue."
"Good," he grimly stated, watching Hermione tend to the youngest wolf-boy, gently but firmly pushing his sister out of the way. "Because we're going to need all the help we can get if we want to keep her safe."
"I know," Draco groaned. "But what is best do you think? Should we knock her out now, or later?"
"Later," Blaise nodded, not missing the odd looks they got from the rest at the route their conversation just went. "She's smart, she'll be expecting us to act now."
"Are you talking about Hermione?" Jacob Black – he guessed, – asked them, eyeing them distrustfully.
"Yes," they affirmed in unison.
"And why are you planning on knocking her out?" he asked, his fists – Merlin, the kid was almost as big as Greyback, and that was saying something, – curling.
"Do you know Hermione long, Jacob?" Draco asked instead, looking at said girl with a fond smile.
"Well, not too long – "
"We've known her for years," Draco interrupted him, now addressing the entirety of their smallish group. "And if there's one thing you should know about Hermione Granger, is that she would not think twice about sacrificing herself, if it meant saving someone else. It doesn't matter if that someone is a loved one or a complete stranger, she'd die for them regardless. Knowing that, what do you think she'll do now that her uncle is in danger and she can save him?"
"You're saying –"
"I can guarantee you she has already come up with a plan to escape us and surrender herself to Bellatrix in exchange for her uncle."
"She wouldn't do that!"
"Oh, but she would, because that's who she is," Draco chuckled, smirking when Hermione looked up and locked eyes with him. "She's selfless, and courageous, so that means she'll dive head first into danger to protect her loved ones."
"So." Sam Uley finally joined them, his arms across his chest. He watched his childhood friend with dark eyes, his mood darkening. "I suggest we have one of the blood suckers restrain her, and you guys do your thing and knock her out for a few hours."
"Now, that's a plan."
xxXxx
"How did it go?" Alice asked the moment he emerged from the house, his eyes unfocused. There was a very clear divide between the small groups in their yard; the wizards were standing to the far end of the perimeter, their wands out and ready. Jacob and Sam were with them, and if he could hear them correctly, they were discussing incapacitating Hermione in case she decided to do something stupid. He was all for that plan.
The wolves were surrounding Seth, now in his human form, as Hermione herself did some diagnostic magic over him, a soft smile on her face as she spoke soothing words to the hurting boy. It did not matter Seth was bigger than her by a landslide, he was still a kid.
Leah – always a distinct figure even among her pack, – stood vigilant guard over her brother, resolutely ignoring the blond wizard that kept shooting her covert glances when he thought no one was looking.
Now that was a complicated situation. One he did not envy, and was glad not to be part of – for once.
"It went… "A smile graced his lips, his chest feeling lighter. "Well. Very well."
I'm not in love you any more, Edward, I'm sorry!
Don't be. My feelings for you… They have changed as well.
"Did you – "
"Break up?" he asked Emmett, his eyes laughing. "Yeah."
"And she took it well? Are you sure?" Rosalie couldn't help but feel doubt. The last time Edward had broken up with Bella, she'd threw herself over a cliff to hear his voice. Who knew what crazy shit the girl would do now that she'd lost Edward for good?
Rosalie did not intend to play babysitter. She had already booked a ticket to England, and was determined to hold Hermione to her promise to meet Teddy. She just had to ensure Hermione stayed alive long enough to fulfil that promise.
"Bella's feelings for me… "he begun, looking up when Bella herself came out of the house. Sharing a smile, she nodded at Alice, and went to help her cousin, probably needing to keep a close eye on her only family member present. "They've changed. Hermione made her think about our relationship and the ways it had changed her, and our future, and she realised she'd be giving up an awful lot without being absolutely certain for her feelings for me. So we talked, and she admitted she's no longer in love for me."
"Wow," Alice murmured. "I had not seen that coming."
"Did you tell her about Hermione?" Emmett asked, an excited glint in his eye.
"Yeah."
"And?"
"That did not go as well at first."
"You are in love with Hermione… My cousin, Hermione… Hermione who hates you, that Hermione."
"Yes."
"Oh, wow." She'd seemed stunned, and a little hurt. He might not be able to read her mind, but he could tell his admission had hurt her. He'd known of Bella's inferiority complex for a long time now – the woman never really accepted how beautiful she really was, – and he knew part of it had to do with Hermione's dominating presence. Bella had always felt she came short compared to her cousin, and now, having her fiancée admit he was in love with said cousin might be too devastating to her fragile ego."I guess I can see it happening, Hermione is striking, that's for sure – "
"So are you," he told her, honestly. He reached out and took her hands to his, her warmth sipping through to him. "I can never be too tired to tell you, you are beautiful Bella. You deserve so much more than half a life with me, and I'm so glad you realised it. You deserve the world."
She looked away.
"Hey," he tilted her head back to meet her eyes. "I'm not lying," he assured her. "You are stunning, inside and out. You shouldn't compare yourself to Hermione, that's unfair to you both."
"Yeah, but she is so much more – "
"She\s beautiful in her own way, and so are you, how many times do I have to tell you? Did you forget all the boys that asked you out when you first came? Did you forget Aro wantsyou?"
"That's different," she argued, tightening her hold on his hands. "Aro only wants me because he cannot read my mind."
"And how extraordinary is that?"
"I'm sure Hermione can shield her mind against him as well."
"Hermione has magic, you do not," he admonished, winking at her scowl. "She has the advantage, but you are a natural."
"I'm such a horrible person," she grouched, tears glinting in her eyes. "My father is somewhere, being tortured, and here I am, having a meltdown over you loving Hermione, when I don't even love you like that any more!"
"You are not horrible," he chided, gathering her in his arms. "You are overwhelmed, and scared. It's normal."
"He won't die, right? We'll save him, won't we?" she asked, seeking reassurance. "He and Hermione both will be fine, and we can go back to our normal lives, and start cancelling wedding plans. And then, I'll follow Hermione's advice and go to France, spend some time alone to figure things out. Maybe I'll go to college now that I won't be turning into a vampire."
He chuckled, smoothing a hand down her hair.
"You can do all that, and more," he promised, patting her back. "We'll take Charlie back, and you three can even go to our planned honeymoon. You'll love the place, and I'm sure Charlie will appreciate a little time away from Forks."
"You are really not mad at me? For stringing you along?" she asked, hiding her face in his shirt. "And you don't have to worry about the Volturi, Hermione promised me she'll handle that! They can't force me to change because I'm related to her, apparently, so we are safe from them."
"That's good to know," he admitted, having at least one thing not to worry about. "And no, I'm not mad at you. How could I, when I'm the one who decided to fall in love with my fiancée's cousin?"
She giggled.
"You know, you'll have your hands full with her, if she decides to give you a chance. She doesn't like you very much."
He groaned.
"Don't remind me."
"We are fine now, though," he murmured, wrapping an arm around Esme's shoulders, and hugging his mother close. "You do know we'll have to cancel all wedding plans now, don't you?"
Esme groaned playfully.
"Actually… "Alice turned thoughtful, and Edward arched an eyebrow at her thoughts.
"He'd never accept that," he advised.
"What are you, a seer?" she snapped, glaring at him. "You let me worry about that, while you try to solve the mess you made of your love life."
"Isn't it funny? Two years ago, you were content being single, and now, now you have a fiancée who doesn't love you and is probably in love with her best friend, and you are in love with said fiancée's cousin, who happens to hate your guts!" Emmett laughed, bumping Jasper's fist as the two guffawed.
Edward glared at them.
"Fucking hilarious."
